Thursday, January 31, 2013

Brady Shaw scored the lone goal for the Surrey Eagles in a 4-1 loss at the hands of the Prince George Spruce Kings on Thursday night in PG. For Prince George, the game marked the fourth victory over the Birds this season.

The Spruce Kings came out hard at the start of the game, and Lyndon Martell gave the home team the lead just before the midway mark of the first on the power play with a slap shot from the right point that found its way past Michael Santaguida. Prince George doubled its lead less than two minutes later when Chad Staley knocked home the rebound of a Jeremiah Luedtke wrister. The Kings had a chance to take a 3-0 lead later in the period when Coltyn Hansen was sprung in on a breakaway, but Santaguida made a right pad save to keep the Eagles within two.

Surrey pulled to within one early in the middle frame when Shaw danced into the slot and beat Prince George net minder Kirk Thompson for his 27th goal of the season. Shaw is now tied with Adam Tambellini for the team lead in goals. Santaguida was called on again before the end of the second when he made another nice save on Hansen who got the puck at the top of the crease but couldn't ripple the mesh.

Prince George pulled away in the third, getting a pair of goals from Shayne Morrissey and affiliate player Liam Blackburn who netted his first BCHL goal on the power play at 10:21. Surrey captain Brett Mulcahy dropped the mitts with 5:45 to go in the third, but Prince George's Cam Lawson didn't oblige him, and Mulcahy was given nine minutes in penalties and ejected from the game while Lawson received a two minute minor for roughing.

The Spruce Kings out shot the Eagles 38-32. Surrey went 0-for-4 on the power play while Prince George was 2-for-8. The Birds played with a shortened bench as Tambellini, Demico Hannoun, William Clark, Tommy Stipancik, Troy Paterson and Glenn Ferguson were all absent from the line-up.

The two teams will meet for the final time in the regular season on Saturday, February 8th at the South Surrey Arena. The Eagles return to action this Saturday, February 2nd when they host the Langley Rivermen. The puck drops at 7:00pm. Call 604-531-GOAL (4625) for tickets.

The Surrey Eagles will pay their fourth and final visit of the season to the Prince George Coliseum on Thursday night to face the Prince George Spruce Kings. The game is the seventh of eight meetings between the teams this year. Each hockey club has picked up three wins, although all of Prince George's wins have come in regulation time while Surrey's three victories were all in overtime.

The Birds are riding a three game winning streak after defeating the Chilliwack Chiefs, Langley Rivermen and Salmon Arm Silverbacks on Friday, Saturday and Sunday respectively. The Eagles were without eight regulars in the line-up against Salmon Arm and were out shot 38-21 but managed to escape with a 2-1 overtime win. Surrey currently sits in first in the Mainland Division. The Birds have a three point cushion on second place Chilliwack and are 11 points ahead of the Spruce Kings heading into tonight's action.

Prince George sits in third in the division but has struggled of late as the Spruce Kings have lost four of their last five. Most recently, Prince George lost 4-3 in overtime to the Coquitlam Express on Sunday. Spruce Kings goaltender and Surrey native Kirk Thompson has played well against the Eagles this season. The 20-year-old only has two shut-outs on the year, but they've both come against Surrey, and Thompson has only allowed nine goals in six games against the Birds.

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

This week, the Head Coach and GM of the Eagles talks about winning three games in three days despite a depleted roster, Jordan Klimek's commitment to Northern Michigan and Surrey's next two games against divisional opponents the Prince George Spruce Kings and the Langley Rivermen.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Surrey, BC - The Surrey Eagles Hockey Club is pleased to announce that defenseman Jordan Klimek has committed to attend Northern Michigan University, beginning in the 2014-2015 season.

Currently in his rookie season in the BCHL, the 17-year-old has scored five goals and 11 assists in 39 games. The Langley native also has three overtime winners, most recently scoring to lift the Birds to a 2-1 win over Salmon Arm last Sunday.

"He is a very talented young player that is only going to keep getting better," said Eagles Head Coach and GM Matt Erhart. "Throughout this season he's made some huge strides defensively, and at the same time, he's scored some big goals for us. We're very happy for Jordan. He's going to be a great college hockey player, and I think Northern Michigan is a great fit for him."

Northern Michigan is located in the city of Marquette. The Wildcats play in the NCAA's Division I Central Collegiate Hockey Association.

"I'm very excited about it," said Klimek of the commitment. "It took a bit there to decide where I wanted to go, but I'm really excited about Northern Michigan and my future there. I really like the coaching staff there."

Monday, January 28, 2013

After three straight wins this past week, the Surrey Eagles have made it back into the CJHL's list of the top 20 Junior A teams in Canada. The Birds were ranked at #14 on the list back on January 14th, and this week the Eagles come in at #17.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Jordan Klimek scored his second overtime winner against the Salmon Arm Silverbacks this season to lift the Surrey Eagles to a 2-1 comeback win on Sunday afternoon. Klimek also netted the game winner in Surrey's 3-2 win back on November 9th at the Shaw Centre. After Sunday's victory, the Birds now sit three points up on the Chilliwack Chiefs for first place in the Mainland Division.

Despite the eventual result, the Silverbacks outplayed the Eagles throughout most of the game. Salmon Arm fired 14 shots on Michael Santaguida in the first period while the Birds only mustered three attempts on 'Backs net minder Angus Redmond. Steven Iacobellis put Salmon Arm ahead with less than two minutes to go in the opening frame when he backhanded the rebound of a Brayden Sherbinin point shot past Santaguida, giving the Silverbacks a 1-0 lead after one.

The Eagles, who were already playing with a depleted roster, lost Colton Mackie for the game just over five minutes into the second when he was given a game misconduct after a hit from behind on Mitchell Ferguson on the end boards. Salmon Arm continued to pour on the pressure, but Santaguida was equal to the task, turning aside all 11 shots he faced in the middle frame. His most notable save of the stanza came around the midway mark of the period when he sprawled on his chest along the goal line to prevent Iacobellis from burying a second goal. The Birds managed only nine shots through the first 40 minutes of play.

Surrey captain Brett Mulcahy nearly tied the game early in the third when his wrist shot from the slot hit both goal posts before bouncing back out into play. Looking for an equalizer, Eagles Head Coach Matt Erhart elected to move Devon Toews up to play forward in the third period, and the decision paid off as Toews tied the game at 10:51, hammering a slap shot past Redmond from just inside the Salmon Arm blue line off the rush. The Silverbacks had a great chance to retake the lead right at the end of regulation when Sherbinin attempted a wrap around at the right post, but Santaguida hugged the iron and made the save, forcing overtime.

Klimek ended the game 2:55 into the first extra period in controversial fashion when he poked a rebound from under the glove of Redmond into the Salmon Arm goal. The Silverbacks complained that the goal should not have been allowed, but referee Eric Dasti decided it was a good goal, and the Eagles celebrated their third victory in as many days.

Neither team was able to score on the man advantage as both clubs went 0-for-4 on the power play. Salmon Arm out shot the Birds 38-21 in a losing cause. Surrey's 21 shots tied a season low for shots on goal in a game.

The Eagles were without Brady Shaw, Adam Tambellini, Demico Hannoun, Joel Gaudet, William Clark, Tommy Stipancik, Troy Paterson and Glenn Ferguson. Surrey will return to action on Thursday evening in Prince George against the Spruce Kings.

The Surrey Eagles will host the Salmon Arm Silverbacks on Sunday afternoon in the second and final meeting in the season series. The Birds defeated the 'Backs 3-2 in overtime back on November 9th at the Shaw Centre. Jordan Klimek scored in the first extra period to give Surrey the win on that occasion. Both teams will be playing their third game in three days.

The Birds are coming off a pair of victories over Chilliwack and Langley on Friday and Saturday. Surrey sits in first in the Mainland Division, one point up on the Chiefs. The Eagles also have a game in hand which they will make up today as Chilliwack is idle. This weekend is only the third time that the Birds have played three games in three days. Surrey is undefeated in three-in-three scenarios this season with a record of 8-0-0-0. The Eagles' depth scoring has been strong this weekend as both Nic Pierog and Kevan Kilistoff are on two game scoring streaks. The two forwards have 11 goals between them this year.

Salmon Arm sits in fourth in the Interior Division. The Silverbacks have a three point lead on the fifth place Trail Smoke Eaters, but Salmon Arm also has four games in hand on the Smokies. The 'Backs are completing a lower mainland road-trip and are coming off a Friday night loss to the Langley Rivermen followed by a Saturday evening victory in Chilliwack over the Chiefs. Defenseman Shane Hanna leads the Salmon Arm club in scoring with eight goals and 28 assists. The Salmon Arm native committed to attend Michigan Tech earlier this week along with Eagles forward Demico Hannoun.

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Despite being without their two top scorers, the Surrey Eagles won 3-1 over the Langley Rivermen on Saturday evening at the South Surrey Arena. The win was the second in a row for the Birds who were forced to play without both Brady Shaw and Adam Tambellini due to injuries.

The Rivermen had a strong start to the game and James Robinson had a good chance to put his team ahead when the puck came to him at the top of the Surrey crease, but Michael Santaguida was able to get the paddle of his stick down on the ice to stop the Langley forward and keep the game scoreless. Minutes later, Nic Pierog would open the scoring for Surrey when he knocked the rebound of a Brett Mulcahy shot into the Langley net while the Eagles were on the penalty kill. The goal was Pierog's seventh of the year and only the second short handed goal for the Birds this season.

Langley tied the game at 12:16 of the second period after Trevor Cope deflected a Nathan Craft shot that was going wide of the net past Santaguida. The goal came with the man advantage for the Rivermen, but the Eagles responded with a power play goal of their own in the final minute of the stanza when Devon Toews fired the puck at Langley goaltender James Barr and Kevan Kilistoff pounced on the rebound to give Surrey an important 2-1 lead through 40 minutes.

The Eagles controlled the game for much of the third and found their insurance marker with less than seven minutes remaining after a bad giveaway by Jakob Reichert in his own zone landed right on Kilistoff's stick in the slot. The Surrey forward got a shot away before Trevor Cameron poked the puck across the goal line to put the Birds up by two. After Surrey's third goal, Langley got into penalty trouble taking a pair of minor penalties in the final five minutes of the game, allowing the Eagles to cruise to the win.

Surrey went 1-for-6 with the man advantage while the Rivermen were 1-for-2. The Eagles out shot Langley 39-31. Michael Santaguida made 30 stops for his 21st win of the year. Surrey moved back into first place in the Mainland Division after the victory due to the fact that the Chilliwack Chiefs lost to Salmon Arm on Saturday night as well.

On a more negative note, forward William Clark left the game after finding himself on the receiving end of a huge hit from Langley forward Marco Romano.

The Birds will play their third game in as many days on Sunday afternoon when they welcome the Salmon Arm Silverbacks for their lone visit to the South Surrey Arena this season. The puck drop will be at 4:00pm.

The Surrey Eagles will play their second divisional game in as many nights when they host the Langley Rivermen at the South Surrey Arena on Saturday night. The Birds have dominated the season series between the two clubs, holding a record of 4-1-0-0. Surrey has outscored Langley 29-15 in the five match-ups, and the Eagles have chased a Langley goaltender from the net in four of the games between the teams this season.

The last time these two teams met, the Eagles picked up a decisive 10-2 win at the Langley Events Centre on January 13th. Brady Shaw and Adam Tambellini each had five points in that victory. The Birds are coming off an exciting 6-4 come-from-behind victory over the Chilliwack Chiefs on Friday evening. Brett Mulcahy had a big game for the Eagles, scoring twice, while Nic Pierog, Drew Best, Kevan Kilistoff and Michael Stenerson also found the back of the net while Michael Santaguida made 29 saves for his 20th victory of the season.

Since the 10-2 loss to the Eagles, the Rivermen have won two in a row, defeating Coquitlam and Salmon Arm. Langley now has a five point lead over Coquitlam for the final playoff spot in the Mainland Division, and the 'Men also hold three games in hand. While the Rivermen haven't scored a lot against the Eagles this season, Mario Puskarich has played well against Surrey. The Langley forward is the only player in the league to score a hat-trick against the Birds this season.

Brett Mulcahy scored twice as the Surrey Eagles overcame a pair of two goal deficits to pick up an important 6-4 win over the Chilliwack Chiefs at Prospera Centre on Friday night. With the victory, the Eagles moved to within one point of the Chiefs for the Mainland Division lead. The win was marred by an ugly check-from-behind by Chilliwack captain David Thompson on Eagles forward Brady Shaw.

The Birds found the back of the net first when Drew Best made a nice pass out of the left corner to Nic Pierog who beat Chilliwack goaltender Mitch Gillam at 4:45 of the first. Chilliwack evened the score moments later when an odd bounce landed right on the stick of Tanner Cochrane who fired the puck past Michael Santaguida to tie the game. Phil Zielonka put the Chiefs ahead before the first intermission with his 29th of the year, wiring a shot into the back of the net from the high slot.

Jaret Babych put the Chiefs ahead by two just over five minutes into the second period when he wired a wrist shot over Santaguida’s glove off the rush. Surrey made it 3-2 when Mulcahy scored his first of the game, batting a puck out of mid-air off Gillam’s back and into the goal. The Birds got a power play shortly afterwards, but Austin Plevy made them pay, scoring shorthanded to put Chilliwack ahead 4-2. The Chiefs had a great opportunity to extend their lead when Tanner Burns was sent in on a breakaway, but Santaguida stood strong and closed the five hole, making what would turn out to be a crucial save. The Eagles rallied to tie the game before the end of the stanza. First, Michael Stenerson tucked the puck inside the right post after a fortuitous bounce off the end boards, and Mulcahy added his second of the game on the power play to even the score.

It was all Surrey in the third. Best put the Birds in front just 2:01 into the period when he whacked his second rebound past a sprawling Gillam, and Kevan Kilistoff added to the Surrey lead just after the midway mark of the period with a beautiful deflection of a Devon Toews wrister from the left point. The Eagles maintained the lead, but the game turned ugly in the final minute when Thompson recklessly ran Shaw from behind into the side-boards in the Surrey zone with just 16 seconds remaining. The Chilliwack captain was given a five-minute major for checking-from-behind and a game misconduct, and Shaw went straight to the dressing room.

The Eagles out shot the Chiefs 43-33. Surrey went 1-for-7 on the power play while Chilliwack was 0-for-1. Eagles forward Adam Tambellini left the game midway through the second period and didn’t return after an awkward collision behind the play.

Surrey gets right back at it on Saturday night when the Langley Rivermen visit the South Surrey Arena. The puck drops at 7:00pm. Call 604-531-4625 for tickets.

Friday, January 25, 2013

The Surrey Eagles will visit Prospera Centre on Friday evening for their seventh match-up of the season with division rivals the Chilliwack Chiefs. The season series is currently tied between the two teams as they both have records of 3-2-0-1 against each other.

The Birds are coming off a pair of games against the West Kelowna Warriors where they picked up only one of a possible four points, tying the Warriors 3-3 last Friday before losing 5-3 in West Kelowna on Saturday. As a result, the Eagles now sit three points back of Chilliwack in the race for the Mainland Division crown. Demico Hannoun has done well against the Chiefs this season, tallying three goals and four assists in the six meetings. Earlier this week, the 17-year-old committed to attend Michigan Tech beginning in 2014.

Chilliwack enters Friday's action on a four game winning streak which included three consecutive victories over the Prince George Spruce Kings. The Chiefs are 5-1-0-0 since the BCHL's trade deadline on January 10th when they acquired Phil Zielonka from the Coquitlam Express. In his first six games as a Chief, Zielonka has been a huge offensive boost to his new team, posting eight goals and four assists. The Birds will also have to watch out for Luke Esposito who leads the league in both points (57) and assists (43).

Thursday, January 24, 2013

On this week's edition of the Matt Erhart Show, the Head Coach and GM of the Eagles chats about Demico Hannoun's commitment to Michigan Tech, Craig Wyszomirski blocking a shot with his face and the upcoming divisional match-ups with Chilliwack and Langley.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Surrey, BC - The Surrey Eagles Hockey Club is pleased to announce that forward Demico Hannoun has committed to attend Michigan Technological University, beginning in the 2014-2015 season.

A native of North Delta, Hannoun is in his second season in the BCHL and has racked up 12 goals and 14 assists in 37 games for the Birds this year. The 17-year-old is the youngest player on the Eagles.

"It's great for the program and great for Demico," said Eagles Head Coach and GM Matt Erhart. "He's a player that was highly sought after because of his age, skill level and abilities. We're excited for him. I think it can be a weight off his shoulders now that he knows where he's going."

Michigan Tech is located in the city of Houghton. The Huskies play in the NCAA's Division I Western Collegiate Hockey Association.

"I'm very excited to finally settle down and get a scholarship," said Hannoun. "It seems like a great school, and I got along with all the players and coaches while I was there visiting. I think they can help me get to the next level."

Surrey, BC - Members of the Surrey Eagles will participate in the annual Toque Tuesday street hockey event on February 5th outside the Chuck Bailey Recreation Centre in Whalley. The event begins at 10:00am.

Toque Tuesday is a day of awareness for homelessness. Members of the public are encouraged to attend the event and donate winter coats, socks, footwear, children's wear and non-perishable food items. Donations will go to the Pacific Community Resources Society, Keys: Housing and Health Solutions, the Surrey Urban Mission Society and the Surrey Food Bank.

"The Toque Tuesday street hockey event is an important one in our community," said Eagles Director of Sales and Marketing Andrew Delbaere. "As an organization, we are excited to be participating, and we encourage our fans to attend on February 5th and donate to this very worthy cause."

The Eagles will also be collecting clothing donations at the team's game against the Salmon Arm Silverbacks on Sunday, January 27th. Fans who come out to the South Surrey Arena and make a donation at the game will receive a 2-for-1 voucher for an upcoming Eagles home game.

To purchase tickets to this Sunday's game, call the Eagles office at 604-531-GOAL (4625).

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Former Surrey Eagle and current Alaska Nanook Tyler Morley has been named the Rookie of the Week in the CCHA.

Here's the full article from the BCHL website:

Surrey Eagles alum Tyler Morley of the University of Alaska Nanooks has taken home the Central Collegiate Hockey Association's rookie of the week award.The former Eagles captain collected a goal and two assists as the Nanooks managed a road sweep of Notre Dame.Morley picked up both assists, including one on the game-winner, in Friday's 5-4 win over the Fighting Irish. The next night, he scored the game-winner himself and was named 1st Star of the game. The Burnaby native is now third in team scoring with eight goals and 14 points on the season. In four seasons, all spent with Surrey, Morley scored 67 goals and 89 assists for 156 points in 208 regular season games. He also racked up 257 penalty minutes in that span.

Saturday, January 19, 2013

The Surrey Eagles failed to pick up a victory for a second straight game, losing 5-3 to the West Kelowna Warriors at Royal LePage Place on Saturday night. As a result, the Warriors win the season series with a record of 2-0-1-0 while the Eagles only managed a single point in the three games between the two teams.

The game started off well for the Birds when Devon Toews opened the scoring just 1:44 into the first with a hard slap shot from the high slot. The Warriors returned serve a couple of minutes later on the power play when Ben Tegtmeyer’s long wrister found its way past Michael Santaguida to tie the game. West Kelowna took its first lead of the night before the midway mark as Max French made a nice deke at the left circle before tucking the puck into the net, but the Birds evened the score again prior to the intermission when Trevor Cameron netted a power play goal, deflecting a Toews point shot past Warriors goalie Tyler Briggs. Eagles blue liner Craig Wyszomirski had to leave the game late in the period after taking a puck in the mouth, but the 20-year-old was back on the ice midway through the second after receiving seven stitches. Meanwhile, forward William Clark dropped the mitts with West Kelowna’s Dustin Cave. Both players landed a number of heavy right hands, but Cave got the better of Clark, knocking him to the ice.

Surrey went ahead again in the second on another tipped shot with the man advantage. This time it was Michael Stenerson deflecting Toews’ wrist shot for his 12th goal of the year. Despite taking the lead, the Warriors outplayed the Birds throughout much of the second period, and the turning point in the game came when Brennan Clark and Seb Lloyd scored just 57 seconds apart at 14:41 and 15:38 respectively to put the Warriors ahead after 40.

The Birds had a number of great chances throughout the third period as Eagles players rang pucks off Briggs’ posts and crossbar on a number of different occasions, but Surrey couldn’t get the pivotal bounce. Eventually, the Warriors added some insurance when Josh Monk beat Santaguida between the legs with a shot from the left circle to put the game out of reach.

Despite the loss, the Eagles power play was effective, going 2-for-3, while West Kelowna was 1-for-5 on the man advantage. The Warriors out shot the Eagles 44-35.

The Birds fell into second place in the Mainland Division after the conclusion of play on Saturday, due to the fact that the Chilliwack Chiefs defeated the Prince George Spruce Kings to move one point ahead of Surrey in the standings. The Eagles and Chiefs will face-off at Prospera Centre in Chilliwack on Friday, January 25th.

For the second time in 48 hours, the Surrey Eagles will face the West Kelowna Warriors. Saturday night's game will be played at Royal LePage Place and will conclude the season series between the teams. The Warriors and Eagles played to a 3-3 tie at the South Surrey Arena on Friday.

Despite giving up two separate two goal leads on Friday night, the Eagles remain atop the Mainland Division but now sit only one point ahead of the second place Chilliwack Chiefs. Surrey's top line of Adam Tambellini, Brady Shaw and Michael Stenerson combined for five points in the tie on Friday, and Stenerson is expected to play alongside Shaw and Tambellini again on Saturday as Demico Hannoun is still away. Meanwhile, a pair of Eagles will be celebrating birthdays this weekend as Kevan Kilistoff turns 18 on Saturday and Stenerson turns 20 on Sunday.

A large part of the credit for West Kelowna's comeback on Friday has to be given to goaltender Tyler Briggs. The native of Sherwood Park, Alberta, who has committed to attend Clarkson University next season, made 32 saves in goal for the Warriors -- including a couple of huge stops in the third period and overtime on Kevan Kilistoff and Brett Mulcahy. West Kelowna's special teams are also a serious threat. The Warriors power play is ranked second in the BCHL while their penalty kill is ranked third in the league.

The Surrey Eagles led 2-0 after two periods but had to settle for a 3-3 tie with the West Kelowna Warriors at the South Surrey Arena on Friday evening. Brady Shaw had two goals for the Birds who held onto first place in the Mainland Division but now sit only one point up on the Chilliwack Chiefs who defeated Prince George on Friday.

The Warriors carried the play in the first period and got the majority of the scoring chances, out shooting Surrey 12-6, but it was the Eagles who took a 1-0 lead into the intermission. With just 21 seconds left in the frame, Brett Mulcahy netted his 12th of the season, poking a loose puck in the crease past West Kelowna net minder Tyler Briggs after Kevan Kilistoff did well to shovel it to the front of the net after his first shot attempt hit the post.

Shaw doubled Surrey's lead at 8:48 of the second period when he beat Briggs with a wraparound on the back hand. Eagles goaltender Michael Santaguida made a couple of big saves late in the second to preserve the two goal lead, most notably when he stopped Seb Lloyd who went hard to the net with the puck. Santaguida then recovered to rob Marcus Basara with a slick glove save on the rebound.

West Kelowna came out flying in the third, and their efforts paid off early when Matt Anholt got the Warriors on the board just 3:04 into the period. Surrey retook the two goal lead when Shaw scored his second on the game just under two minutes later with a nice snap shot off the rush from the right circle. But the Warriors found life again as Marcus Basara beat Santaguida on the power play with Colton Mackie watching from the box, and Reid Simmonds rippled the mesh with his fifth of the year to pull West Kelowna into a tie. The Eagles had a great chance to retake the lead late in the third when Kilistoff was sent in all alone on Briggs, but the 20-year-old goalie made a big stop with the left pad to keep the score even and force overtime.

Surrey had the majority of the opportunities in the two overtime periods, and Briggs stood tall in the Warriors' net. His best save in overtime came when he robbed Brett Mulcahy at the right post after a cross crease pass midway through the first additional frame. Moments later, the Eagles were given a man advantage after Daniel Gayle took a slashing penalty, but the Surrey power play couldn't convert. Adam Tambellini had a golden opportunity to end the game with under 90 seconds left to play, but he missed the yawning cage from a sharp angle at the left side of the goal.

Surrey went 0-for-6 on the power play while West Kelowna was 1-for-4. The Warriors out shot the Birds 40-35. The two teams will meet again tomorrow evening at Royal LePage Place.

Friday, January 18, 2013

The West Kelowna Warriors will pay their lone visit to South Surrey this season on Friday evening to take on the Surrey Eagles in the first of a home-and-home series that will conclude on Saturday in West Kelowna. Friday's game will be the second meeting of the season between the two teams. The Warriors defeated the Birds 6-1 back on September 9th at the BCHL Showcase in Chilliwack.

It's been a great week for the Surrey hockey club with lots of good news coming out of the nest. New addition Adam Tambellini was named the BCHL Player of the Week and was ranked 62nd among North American skaters in the NHL's mid-season rankings ahead of the summer entry draft while both Drew Best and Brett Mulcahy committed to attend NCAA schools. The Birds enter Friday's action on a three game winning streak and have a very strong 7-1-0-2 record against teams from the Interior Division.

The Warriors have also been hot of late. After making a pair of trades at the deadline last week to acquire Mitch Nardi from Coquitlam and Daniel Gayle from Fort McMurray of the AJHL, West Kelowna has won three in a row, picking up victories over Powell River, Trail and Merritt. The Warriors currently sit in third in the Interior Division, one point back of second place Merritt and seven points ahead of fourth place Salmon Arm. Marcus Basara and Seb Lloyd have led the way for West Kelowna this season when it comes to offensive production. Basara has 47 points in 38 games while Lloyd has tallied 46 points in 34 games.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

On the latest episode of The Matt Erhart Show, the Head Coach and GM of the Eagles talked about the commitments of Brett Mulcahy and Drew Best to Holy Cross and Vermont respectively, looked back at wins over Penticton and Langley and previewed this weekend's meetings with West Kelowna.

Surrey, BC - The Surrey Eagles Hockey Club is pleased to announce that forward Drew Best has committed to attend the University of Vermont, beginning in the 2014-2015 season.

Best, who hails from Plymouth, Michigan, has had a strong rookie season in the BCHL. The 18-year-old has tallied 31 points in 37 games in Surrey this year. His first BCHL goal was an overtime winner over the Chilliwack Chiefs back on September 14th. Best also netted a hat-trick in a win against Coquitlam on November 12th.

"Drew is a player that came to us in the summer, and I had really high hopes for him," said Eagles Head Coach and GM Matt Erhart. "He's a really good offensive player, but I think he's really learned both sides of the game in the first half of the season. He's been very responsible defensively, and at the same time, he has put up 30 points already which is impressive for the first half of his rookie season. It's nice to see him get rewarded for all the hard work that he's put in this year."

The University of Vermont is located in the city of Burlington. The Catamounts play in the NCAA's Division I Hockey East Association.

"Ever since I started playing hockey, it's been a dream of mine to play college hockey," said Best. "I'm really happy to go to Vermont. It's a great school with a great history behind the hockey team. They also have a really great business school which is what I want to go into when I get there."

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Surrey, BC - The Surrey Eagles Hockey Club is pleased to announce that captain Brett Mulcahy has committed to attend the College of the Holy Cross, beginning in the 2014-2015 season.

The 19-year-old was named the captain of the Birds in late November and is having a career year offensively, putting up 11 goals and 19 assists in 38 games this season. A native of Kelowna, Mulcahy originally joined the Eagles at the beginning of the 2011-2012 season.

"It's great for Brett," said Eagles Head Coach and GM Matt Erhart of Mulcahy's commitment. "He's a kid that has been one of our hardest workers since he's been here, and he continues to work on his game. He always wants to be on the ice getting better. At the same time, he's very good academically, and Holy Cross is a good school. I'm sure they're going to be really happy that they got him."

The College of the Holy Cross is located in Worcester, Massachusetts. The Crusaders play in the NCAA's Division I Atlantic Hockey Conference.

"I'm very excited," said Mulcahy. "It's something I've been working towards my whole life. I couldn't be happier to go to a great school like Holy Cross. They're second to none in terms of their academic excellence, and I think it will be an excellent fit."

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

A good week for Adam Tambellini got even better when NHL Central Scouting released its midterm list on Tuesday, ranking the prospects for this summer's NHL Entry Draft.

Tambellini, who picked up seven points in his first two games in Surrey and was named BCHL Player of the Week, was ranked #62 among North American skaters, making him the highest ranked BCHLer on the list.

Monday, January 14, 2013

The newest addition to the Surrey Eagles, forward Adam Tambellini, has been named the Gongshow BCHL Player of the Week.

Here's the full release from the BCHL:

Surrey Eagles forward Adam Tambellini has been named the Gongshow BCHL Player of the Week for the week ending Jan. 13, the league announced Monday.Tambellini scored both goals in a 2-1 win over the Penticton Vees in his first game with the Eagles and was named 2nd Star for his efforts. He followed that up with a hat trick and two assists in a 10-2 victory over the Langley Rivermen where he was named 1st Star.The Edmonton native is now tied with Langley's Mario Puskarich for the BCHL lead in goals with 27 and he sits fourth overall in BCHL scoring with 46 points in 38 games.Honourable mentions this week go to:West Kelowna Warriors F Max French (3G 3A, 1st Star, GWG)Surrey Eagles F Brady Shaw (2G 5A, 2nd Star, FortisBC Energy Player of the Game)Powell River Kings F J.P. Villeneuve (4G 1A, 1st Star, GWG)Nanaimo Clippers D Christopher Rygus (4A, FortisBC Energy Player of the Game)Surrey Eagles G Michael Santaguida (3W, two 1st Stars, .955 sv%, 1.70 GAA)Trail Smoke Eaters F Mitch Foyle (1G, 3A, 3rd Star, two FortisBC Energy Player of the Game nods)

After three straight wins over Coquitlam, Penticton and Langley in the past week, the Surrey Eagles have been ranked at #13 on the CJHL's weekly rankings of the top 20 Junior "A" teams in Canada. It's the first time this season that the Birds have cracked the top 20, although they have been listed in the honourable mentions a couple of times.

Amongst BCHL teams on the list, the Eagles sit second behind the Victoria Grizzlies who are ranked as the #9 team in the nation. The Pencticton Vees are also on the list, but sit one back of the Birds at #14.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

The Surrey Eagles picked up their biggest win of the season on Sunday afternoon, demolishing the Langley Rivermen 10-2 at the Langley Events Centre. Adam Tambellini had a hat-trick while rookie William Clark added two goals for Surrey's third straight victory. The game also marked the highest goal tally for the Birds in a single game this season, surpassing their previous high of seven which also came against Langley back on November 27th.

Kevan Kilistoff opened the scoring for Surrey just 2:31 into the first with a wrist shot off the rush that beat Langley starter Darren Hogg. The Eagles held the 1-0 lead throughout the first period until Tambellini scored a power play marker inside the final two minutes of the frame to put the Birds ahead by two heading into the intermission.

The Rivermen had a good start to the second and got on the board inside the first minute when Mario Puskarich beat Michael Santaguida for his 27th of the year. Langley tied the game just a few minutes later when Austin Azurdia scored. After the goal, Eagles Head Coach Matt Erhart called a timeout, and the decision to calm his team down paid off. Surrey retook the lead at 8:06 when Demico Hannoun fired a bullet of a slap shot from the right circle, picking out the top left corner of the net. Colton Mackie added a power play goal just after the midway mark of the period, chasing Hogg from the goal as he was replaced by James Barr. Despite the change between the pipes for Langley, Tambellini rippled the mesh for a second time before the end of the period with a hard one-timer from the slot.

The Surrey onslaught continued in the third after the Rivermen got into some penalty trouble. Just over a minute into the stanza, Brady Shaw laid a big hit on Langley forward Evan Anderson behind the Rivermen net, and defenseman Aaron Dolby took exception, jumping Shaw while he was down on the ice. Shaw, who didn't fight back, was not assessed any penalties while Dolby racked up an instigating minor and a fighting major, giving the Birds a seven minute power play. Surrey scored twice on the lengthy man advantage as Tambellini recorded the hat-trick with his third of the game while Brady Shaw also found the net. Brett Mulcahy picked up his 11th of the season in the late stages of the third as well while both of Clark's goals came in the final six minutes of the hockey game. Erhart also gave AP backup Brenden Sharp a chance between the pipes in the late stages, and the 18-year-old made two saves in 4:08 of action to finish the game.

The Eagles' power play went an impressive 5-for-8 in the win while Langley was 0-for-4 on the man advantage. Surrey finished ahead on the shot clock 51-35. Hogg, who let in four goals on 15 shots, was credited with the loss for the Rivermen while Barr allowed six goals on 36 shots.

Surrey will go for its fourth win in a row on Friday evening when the West Kelowna Warriors pay a visit to the South Surrey Arena. The puck drops at 7:00pm. For tickets, call 604-531-4625.

The Surrey Eagles will pay their final visit to the Langley Events Centre this season on Sunday afternoon for a matinee match-up with the Langley Rivermen. The Birds lead the season series between the two teams after winning three of thee four meetings between the two sides to this point in the year.

Surrey is coming off an exciting 2-1 win over Penticton on Friday evening. The Eagles now sit alone atop the Mainland Division with a two point lead on Chilliwack after the Chiefs lost to Victoria on Saturday. The two teams have both played 37 games. New additions Ryan Fraser-Lee and Adam Tambellini both played well in their debuts with the Birds on Friday. Tambellini scored twice, including the game winner, while Fraser-Lee had a solid game on the back end. The blue liner from Grand Rapids, Michigan will face his former team today after being traded by Langley on Wednesday.

Langley was on a four game winning streak entering Saturday's action, but the Rivermen fell 5-1 to Penticton at home. Derek Sutliffe had Langley's lone goal in the loss. Sutliffe, who hails from Las Vegas, Nevada, is the reigning BCHL Player of the Week after putting up four points in two straight wins for Langley last weekend. The Rivermen's winning streak has put them back in a playoff position as they currently sit in fourth in the Mainland Division, one point up on Coquitlam. The 'Men also have three games in hand on the Express.

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Adam Tambellini scored twice in his Surrey Eagles debut, helping the Birds to a thrilling 2-1 win over the defending Royal Bank Cup champion Penticton Vees on Friday evening at the South Surrey Arena. Michael Santaguida had a big game in goal as well, making 40 saves for his 18th win of the season.

The two teams traded chances in the first, but the game remained scoreless through 20 minutes. Each side managed eight shots on the opposing net, but both Santaguida and Vees goalie Nic Renyard turned them all aside.

It didn't take Surrey long to get on the board in the second. Tambellini netted his first as an Eagle and 23rd of the season just 1:37 into the middle frame, beating Renyard with a backhander at the right post. The Vees pulled onto level terms before the midway mark when Jedd Soleway deflected a Brad McClure wrist shot past Santaguida to tie the game at 1-1. But before the end of the stanza, the Birds retook the lead when Tambellini and Demico Hannoun found themselves in on a two-on-one. Hannoun held onto the puck before making a seamless pass to Tambellini who redirected it past Renyard into the Penticton goal. The Vees thought they had tied the game late in the period when Michael Rebry shovelled the puck into the Surrey goal, but referee Jason Cramer ruled that the whistle had gone before the puck had crossed the line, and the Eagles retained the lead.

Penticton was denied an equalizer in the early stages of the third period as well when Troy Stecher beat Santaguida with a hard wrister that bounced in and out of the net so quickly that none of the officials saw it cross the line. After the disallowed goal, the Eagles got into penalty trouble as Surrey was assessed five straight penalties. But the Birds' penalty kill unit had a monster period, killing off all five shorthanded situations while Santaguida faced 20 shots in the final 20 minutes and stopped them all. Penticton's best chance to tie the game came in the final 10 seconds when the puck bounced onto McClure's stick at the side of the goal, but the Vees forward missed a yawning cage, and the Eagles skated away victors.

Penticton out shot Surrey 41-24 in the hockey game and went 1-for-7 on the power play while the Birds were 0-for-4. The result means that the Eagles win the season series between the two teams by virtue of the fact that Surrey picked up an extra point in the overtime loss at the South Okanagan Events Centre last weekend.

Up next, the Eagles visit the Langley Events Centre on Sunday afternoon to face the Rivermen. Face-off is at 2:00pm.

Friday, January 11, 2013

The Surrey Eagles will conclude their season series with the Penticton Vees on Friday night at the South Surrey Arena in a battle of division leaders. The Vees defeated the Birds 3-2 in overtime last Saturday. Troy Stecher had two goals including the OT winner for Penticton while Brady Shaw scored twice in a losing cause for Surrey.

The Birds will have a new face in their line-up on Friday after acquiring 18-year-old forward Adam Tambellini from the Vernon Vipers prior to the BCHL trade deadline on Thursday. Tambellini has had a strong season to date with 39 points, putting him in second on the Eagles in scoring. The Edmonton native will wear #9 after Trevor Cameron graciously agreed to switch to jersey #21. The Eagles will be looking to remain atop the Mainland Division as they sit two points clear of Chilliwack. The Chiefs are also in action on Friday as they host the Prince George Spruce Kings.

Penticton enters play on Friday with a seven point cushion atop the Interior Division and a record of 24-10-0-3. The Vees have taken a step back after their amazing 54 win season in 2011-2012 that resulted in a Royal Bank Cup, but they are still one of the top teams in the league. Penticton also bolstered its roster prior to the league's trade deadline, picking up John Siemer from the Coquitlam Express. Siemer will face the Eagles for the second straight game after visiting the South Surrey Arena with his former team on Wednesday evening.

On a post trade deadline edition of The Matt Erhart Show, the Head Coach and GM of the Eagles talked about the acquisition of Adam Tambellini and looked back on the last three games against Trail, Penticton and Coquitlam.

Surrey, BC - The Surrey Eagles Hockey Club announced on Friday that prior to the BCHL trade deadline on Thursday, January 10th, the team traded forward Mason Blacklock (94) and future considerations to the Vernon Vipers in exchange for forward Adam Tambellini (94) and future considerations.

Prior to the trade, Tambellini led the Vipers in scoring with 22 goals and 17 assists in 36 games. The Edmonton native, who scored the double overtime winner for Vernon against Surrey on November 10th, has already committed to attend the University of North Dakota beginning in the 2013-2014 season.

Tambellini also comes from a hockey family as his father Steve and brother Jeff are both former Vancouver Canucks who have played over 700 NHL games between the two of them. Steve is currently the General Manager of the Edmonton Oilers while Jeff is playing professionally for Zurich in the Swiss League.

"We like the way our team has been playing as of late, and we're excited to be able to add a proven goal scorer in Adam," said Eagles Head Coach and GM Matt Erhart. "I think he'll fit in well with our group up front, but whenever you make a deal where you bring in a player like Adam, you have to give up a quality player in return. Mason has really turned his game around, especially in the last 20 games, and he's going to a good situation in Vernon where he'll get an opportunity to be a big part of that team and showcase himself for the future."

Blacklock joined the Eagles on September 15th after he was acquired in a trade with the Nanaimo Clippers. The 18-year-old White Rock product put up nine goals and eight assists in 32 games in Surrey.

The Eagles would like to thank Blacklock for his time spent in the organization and wish him all the best in the future.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Captain Brett Mulcahy led the way with two goals as the Surrey Eagles skated to a 6-2 victory over the Coquitlam Express at the South Surrey Arena on Wednesday evening. The win moved Surrey into first place in the Mainland Division, two points up on the Chilliwack Chiefs.

Neither team found the back of the net in the opening frame, but Surrey goaltender Michael Santaguida made a couple of spectacular saves to keep the Express off the scoreboard. First, he robbed Coquitlam forward Sam Majka with a phenomenal stick save, taking away what looked to be a sure goal. Later in the period, Santaguida was pressed into action again when he made a sprawling stop on Malcolm McKinney.

The Birds took control of the game in the middle frame, scoring three unanswered goals. Michael Stenerson got Surrey on the board just past the midway mark of the period, burying his 11th of the season. Brady Shaw doubled the lead just a few minutes later with a wrist shot from the right circle on the power play that beat Coquitlam goalie Cole Huggins over the blocker, and only 37 seconds after Shaw's goal, Mason Blacklock made it 3-0 when he redirected a pass from Trevor Cameron past Huggins.

Surrey went ahead 4-0 in the final frame as Craig Wyszomirski skated relatively uncontested into the slot and fired a backhander that found the top corner. But the Express wouldn't go down without a fight. John Siemer spoiled Santaguida's shutout bid, netting his 20th goal of the season to pull Coquitlam to within three goals. Mulcahy extended the Surrey lead once again at 13:19 when he picked the top left corner of the net with a nifty wrister, but Coquitlam battled back once again as Phil Zielonka picked up his 20th of the year. In the final minute, Mulcahy capped off the victory when he tipped a Dan O'Keefe point shot past Huggins for his second of the evening.

Surrey went 2-for-4 on the power play while Coquitlam was 1-for-4. The Express out shot the Eagles 36-35. Surrey's newest addition, Ryan Fraser-Lee, did not suit up on Wednesday.

The Birds will return to action on Friday evening when they host the defending Royal Bank Cup champion Penticton Vees. For tickets, call 604-531-4625.

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Surrey, BC - The Surrey Eagles Hockey Club announced on Wednesday that the team has made two trades, acquiring defenseman Ryan Fraser-Lee (93) from the Langley Rivermen for future considerations and sending defenseman Eric Chevrier (93) to the Brooks Bandits in the Alberta Junior Hockey League for future considerations.

Fraser-Lee began this season with the Pembroke Lumber Kings of the CCHL where he put up two points in seven games. He was traded to Langley in late November where he appeared in 10 games for the Rivermen. The native of Grand Rapids, Michigan stands 6'2", 195 pounds and is a right handed shot.

"Ryan is a big defenseman and a right handed shot that will provide some more depth to our back end," said Eagles Head Coach and GM Matt Erhart. "We're excited to have him, and we think it solidifies our defensive core going forward."

Chevrier joined the Eagles midway through the 2011-2012 season. He appeared in 26 games with the team that year, putting up three points. This season, Chevrier scored one goal and four assists in 32 games in a Surrey uniform.

The Eagles would like to thank Chevrier for his time spent in the organization and wish him all the best in the future.

The Surrey Eagles will face the Coquitlam Express for the fifth time this season in a rare Wednesday evening game at the South Surrey Arena. The Birds are a perfect 4-0 against Coquitlam this year, outscoring the Express 14-4. In their last meeting, the Eagles skated away with a 2-0 win at the Poirier Sports and Leisure Complex on December 30th.

Surrey has an opportunity to take over sole possession of first place in the Mainland Division with a victory on Wednesday. The Eagles currently sit tied with the Chilliwack Chiefs as both teams have 46 points in 35 games played, but Chilliwack holds the tie-breaker of most wins. The Chiefs are idle on Wednesday, giving the Birds a chance to jump ahead of them. The Eagles have picked up points in their last five straight games. Brady Shaw has been hot of late for Surrey as well, tallying four goals in his last two games.

Coquitlam enters Wednesday's action desperate for points. The Express have lost their last four games and have slipped below Langley into last place in the division. Coquitlam sits three points behind the Rivermen who also hold a game in hand. A large part of the Express' struggles can be attributed to their divisional record, particularly when they're away from home. In divisional road games, Coquitlam is 1-9-1-0, and the Express have only managed three wins in 20 games against teams in the Mainland Division this season.

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Despite a valiant comeback attempt, the Surrey Eagles fell 3-2 to the Penticton Vees in double overtime at the South Okanagan Events Centre on Saturday evening. Brady Shaw had both goals for the Birds in the loss while Troy Stecher had a pair, including the game winner, for Penticton.

The Vees had the better of the chances in the first, firing 13 shots on Michael Santaguida's net while the Birds only managed six shots at the other end of the rink. Penticton's best opportunity came when Michael Rebry was robbed by Santaguida as the Surrey goalie made a save with the paddle of his stick on the goal line, keeping the game scoreless. Later in the period, Brad McClure nearly gave the Vees the lead when a rebound found him at the top of the crease, but his shot went wide of the left post.

Surrey got an early power play in the second and generated a number of high quality scoring chances, the best of which came when Drew Best found himself alone in the high slot but missed the net with a hard wrister. A few minutes later, Shaw had a good opportunity when he walked out of the right corner and tried to stuff the puck into the net, but Penticton net minder Nic Renyard made the save. Sam Mellor had a great chance for the Vees later in the frame as he rung a wrist shot off the cross-bar from the right wing, but despite his missed opportunity, Penticton took the lead before the end of the stanza when Santaguida came out to play the puck and turned it over to McClure who netted his 20th of the season on a wrap around.

Stecher extended the Penticton lead at 11:29 of the third period when his pass attempt from the right point took an odd bounce and ended up in the Surrey net. But for the second straight evening, the Eagles mounted a comeback. Shaw pulled the Birds to within one goal when he scored with a snap shot right off an offensive zone face-off at 14:02, and with just 12.4 seconds remaining in the third and Santaguida on the bench for an extra attacker, Shaw rippled the mesh again, hammering a slapper past Renyard to force overtime.

The game remained tied at 2-2 after the first extra frame, but Stecher ended the game in the 3-on-3 period, scoring his second of the evening after stripping Michael Stenerson of the puck and beating Santaguida with a high wrist shot on a breakaway.

Both teams went 0-for-4 on the power play while the Vees out shot the Eagles 31-27. The two teams will meet again on January 11th at the South Surrey Arena.

The Surrey Eagles will go for a season high fifth win in a row on Saturday in the Okanagan against the defending Royal Bank Cup champion Penticton Vees. The game marks the first meeting between the teams this season. The Birds will host the Vees in the return match at the South Surrey Arena on January 11th.

The Eagles came from behind to beat Trail 6-3 on Friday, thanks in large part to four goals in the third period. The final frame has been a strong one for the Birds of late as Surrey has scored 10 of its 16 goals since the Christmas break in the third. Brady Shaw had a pair of goals in Friday's win. The 20-year-old forward leads the Eagles in goals and points, sitting 14th in league scoring. The Birds have a record of 6-1-0-1 against Interior Division teams this season with their only losses coming against West Kelowna in regulation and Vernon in double overtime.

Penticton has a seven point cushion atop the Interior Division, but the Vees are coming off a 4-2 loss to the second place Merritt Centennials who have three games in hand. Offensively, Penticton is led by Wade Murphy and Sam Mellor who have a combined 86 points on the season. The Vees have 14 players with college commitments including starting goaltender Chad Katunar who will be heading to Notre Dame next season.

Brady Shaw had two goals in the third period to help the Surrey Eagles overcome a two goal deficit and defeat the Trail Smoke Eaters 6-3 on Friday at Cominco Arena. With the victory, the Birds completed the sweep of the season series between the two teams. Michael Santaguida made 29 saves in the win.

Trail found the net first, just over four minutes into the game, when Adam Wheeldon beat Santaguida for his fifth of the year. The goal also ended Santaguida's shutout streak at 150 minutes and 37 seconds. The Smoke Eaters nearly took a 2-0 lead when Austin Adduono's shot found its way through Santaguida and trickled towards the goal, but Nic Pierog dove back and pulled the puck off the goal line. The Birds thought they had tied the game later in the opening frame when Kevan Kilistoff shovelled the puck past Trail goaltender Lyndon Stanwood, but referee Jim Maniago ruled that Kilistoff had interfered with Stanwood on the play, and the goal was not allowed to stand.

Santaguida came up big for Surrey early in the second. After having his stick knocked out of his hands, the Eagles net minder bent over to pick it up just as Jesse Knowler took a shot on net, but Santaguida dove from outside the crease to make a beautiful glove save. The Smoke Eaters would persevere and double their lead at 10:31 when Valik Chichkin scored after an unusual bounce off the side boards. But the Birds responded just 15 seconds later as Devon Toews split a couple of Trail defenders before passing to Brett Mulcahy at the left post, and the Surrey captain made no mistake, burying his eighth of the season. The Eagles pulled onto even terms before the end of the stanza when Mulcahy fired a shot off the left wing that hit the post and sat on the goal line until Drew Best poked it into the open cage.

Surrey took control of the game early in the third. Top scorer Brady Shaw netted his 19th and 20th goals of the season inside the opening three minutes to put the Eagles ahead 4-2. The Smokies tried to get themselves back into the game, and Braeden Jones pulled the home team to within one goal with his first marker in the BCHL, but Nic Pierog restored the two goal lead with his fifth of the year at 14:58, and Mason Blacklock assured Surrey of the victory, scoring with less than three minutes remaining to ice the game.

The Birds will look to extend their post-Christmas four game winning streak when they wrap up their short visit to the Interior on Saturday with a match-up against the Penticton Vees.

Friday, January 4, 2013

The Surrey Eagles will begin a two game Interior Division road trip on Friday evening when they visit Cominco Arena to face the Trail Smoke Eaters. It will be the second and final meeting of the season between the two teams. The Birds took the opening match-up 5-4 in double overtime on October 21st in Surrey. Devon Toews had a hat-trick including the winning goal.

The Eagles enter Friday on a three game winning streak after victories over Chilliwack and Coquitlam last weekend. Michael Santaguida has been playing his best hockey of the season between the pipes of late as he hasn't allowed a goal in his last 146 minutes and 25 seconds of action. The race for the Mainland Division crown will now begin in earnest with the Birds sitting only one point behind Chilliwack for the top spot in the division. The Chiefs also play on Friday as they host Coquitlam.

Trail will return from the holiday break on Friday. The Smokies last played on December 18th, picking up a 4-2 win over the Merritt Centennials, and find themselves in a race for the final playoff spot in the Interior Division. Trail currently sits in fifth, one point behind fourth place Salmon Arm, but the Smokies have played three more games than the Silverbacks. Up front, Trail is led by Brent Baltus who has 37 points in 33 games this season.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

On the first episode of The Matt Erhart Show in 2013, the Head Coach and GM of the Eagles looked back on the wins over Chilliwack and Coquitlam last weekend and gave injury updates on Troy Paterson and Glenn Ferguson.